Restart life

Chapter 71 0069 [Going Home for the New Year]

Reporter Chen Feng returned to Chengdu and wrote the article the next day.

But there was no rush to submit it for publication.

Such good news definitely needs to be avoided during the Spring Festival.

During the Lunar New Year, there are so many festive and lively events that any news will lose its appeal.

He plans to send it after the Lantern Festival!
While I'm at it, I'll continue revising the manuscript.

The day after Chen Guiliang returned to Longdu, he used his uncle's landline to call Bian Guanyue.

"You finally called! I couldn't get through to your pager," Bian Guanyue said excitedly.

Chen Guiliang asked, "Has someone contacted you?"

“Both Fudan University and Beijing Normal University called. Fudan even treated me like…” Bian Guanyue swallowed her words, too embarrassed to bring it up. “Wait a moment, I’ll go get the book and read out their preferential treatment conditions to you.”

Chen Guiliang listened carefully.

After reading those aloud, Bian Guanyue said again, "Chen Guiliang, you're really amazing!"

Chen Guiliang laughed and said, "I have many other strengths."

Bian Guanyue laughed too: "Do you choose Fudan University or Beijing Normal University?"

Chen Guiliang said, "Let's wait a little longer. After the New Year holiday, some schools might call again. Don't agree to anything they say, just write it down for me."

"Okay, I understand."

As she spoke, Bian Guanyue couldn't help but exclaim, "Your two poems are truly wonderful!"

"Did you see it online or in the newspaper?" Chen Guiliang asked.

Bian Guanyue said, "Online. You're famous on many forums. I even saw someone reposting your story on Mop today."

Chen Guiliang heard a cat meowing on the phone: "Is the cat alright?"

"It's very well-behaved and clingy. Whenever I stop, it tries to climb on me. I even named it Huajuan (Flower Roll)," Bian Guanyue said with a grin.

Chen Guiliang said, "My dog ​​is named Panda."

Bian Guanyue said, "Very vivid."

The use of retroflex endings in Sichuan dialect is no less than in northern China; "熊猫儿" is the standard way to pronounce it.

After chatting for a while and hanging up, Chen Guiliang called Tao Xue again.

"at home?"

"Yes. Haha, I saw the poem you wrote."

"Where's your brother?"

"Also there."

"Tell me the address, and I'll be right there."

Chen Guiliang dragged his suitcase, said goodbye to his uncle and aunt, and then took a taxi to the Tao family's house.

The two apartments are right next to each other. Tao Xue and her parents live in one apartment, while Tao Chenggang lives alone in the other.

During the phone call, Chen Guiliang heard that Tao Xue seemed to have guests at home, so he chose to ring Tao Chenggang's doorbell.

"Please sit wherever you like, no need to change your shoes," Tao Chenggang said as he opened the door to greet them.

Seeing him dressed in a suit and tie, Chen Guiliang jokingly asked, "Brother Gang, are you going on a blind date?"

"You were absolutely right. Sigh!" Tao Chenggang sighed.

The younger generation of the leaders in his parents' factory, who graduated with a bachelor's degree and works in a foreign company, insisted that Tao Chenggang meet them when he returned home for the Chinese New Year.

Chen Guiliang said, "My uncle has told me about the subsequent profit sharing from the private server. Brother Gang has been running around the surrounding cities and counties, negotiating cooperation with those internet cafes, and I haven't been able to help much. So, I won't take any profit sharing after the Chinese New Year."

In two months, Chen Guiliang will likely receive around 140,000 yuan.

That's enough; there's no need to be greedy.

Moreover, "Legend of the Abyss" was already on a downward trend, with revenue gradually decreasing in the second month. This was because similar private servers were becoming increasingly common, and the dungeon gameplay was no longer novel.

It was originally a one-off deal, and during the special rectification period, low-cost publicity was not possible.

Tao Chenggang wasn't very happy to hear this: "You're not even going to participate in developing your own game?"

“I can offer some suggestions,” Chen Guiliang said.

Tao Chenggang thought about it carefully for a while: "How about this? I'll invest all your future profits from private servers into game development, and convert them into company shares based on the specific amount."

Chen Guiliang neither refused nor immediately agreed: "Didn't we already sell you the concept and gameplay of free-to-play games?"

“I’ve always believed that doing business depends on people,” Tao Chenggang said. “I think we can have better development by cooperating with you.”

Chen Guiliang said, "If we start a company, I'll be unhappy if I hold too few shares. But if I hold too many shares, you definitely won't be happy either, Brother Gang. I'll try my best to help you, and we'll decide based on the specific circumstances after the company grows bigger. At that time, I can continue to hold shares. If you're willing to buy, I can also sell my shares to you."

Tao Chenggang's project involves too much investment and is very likely to fail due to a funding shortfall, so Chen Guiliang doesn't want to get involved.

He has more reliable and profitable game projects, and he might make money before Tao Chenggang, then turn around and invest in Tao Chenggang's unfinished game.

Tao Chenggang asked, "Are you planning to start your own company?"

Chen Guiliang didn't hide anything: "It's also about making games. But the games I'm making are different from Gang Ge's free games; they won't be direct competitors."

After thinking for a moment, Chen Guiliang said, "Since Brother Gang is willing to give me shares, then in return, I will write a game design proposal for Brother Gang during the Spring Festival. The content will only include the overall concept, system design, and plot design; I won't worry about the more detailed and professional parts."

"Okay, it's settled then." This was exactly what Tao Chenggang wanted.

The special rectification campaign launched by the five ministries will last for three months. Many tech experts who run private servers will remain inactive during this period.

Tao Chenggang took the opportunity to deceive a group of technical talents, some of whom were already wealthy, and even persuaded them to invest and become minority shareholders.

But no one had ever developed a game in-house before, and Tao Chenggang was afraid of leaking more trade secrets, so he didn't dare to discuss it in detail with those people for the time being. He tried writing game designs himself, but he wasn't satisfied with the two drafts he wrote, so he set his sights on Chen Guiliang.

Chen Guiliang didn't care; he just considered it making a friend. After all, he was only writing during the Spring Festival and didn't need to give anything in return. Just then, Tao Xue arrived.

"Why don't you come to my place?" Tao Xue complained.

Chen Guiliang smiled and took out three autographed books: "I won't bother your aunt and uncle anymore. These are the autographs I got back for you."

Tao Xue opened the title page and found that each book was signed with her name and a blessing, and all her unhappiness instantly vanished.

"You do have a conscience." Tao Xue sat down next to Chen Guiliang with a smile.

Tao Chenggang belatedly realized that something was wrong; his sister seemed to be...

They seem to be a good match!
Tao Chenggang glanced at his watch, stood up, and said, "I'm going on a blind date. You two can chat for a while. Remember to close the door when you leave."

He quickly slipped away, giving his sister a chance to be alone.

Chen Guiliang also wanted to leave, but Tao Xue pulled him aside and asked, "Is Su Tong as handsome in person as he is in the photos?"

"He's a handsome middle-aged man, quite energetic," Chen Guiliang said.

"What about Yu Hua?"

"It's not bad."

Did you talk to them about literature?

"We didn't talk, we were just bragging."

"..."

After chatting for about twenty minutes, Chen Guiliang ignored Tao Xue's offer to stay for dinner and insisted that he had urgent business at home and needed to go back.

He took a bus to the old town area, bought some preserved and cured meats for the Lunar New Year, and then hailed a taxi directly from the bamboo carts back to the village. These taxi drivers are really ruthless around the Spring Festival!
Returning to the village felt like being cut off from the world once again.

The villagers had no idea about the New Concept Writing Competition, let alone that Chen Guiliang had become a celebrity.

Even Guo Jingming, who was already famous, was unknown to these villagers, despite being from this city. On the contrary, Zhao Yanzi was a household name, and people of all ages loved watching Huanzhu Gege.

"Your Majesty, I'm back." Chen Guiliang returned home and found his grandmother doing a thorough cleaning.

She has limited physical strength and can't do much work, so she's been busy for several days.

Grandma has cleaned up all the spider webs in the corners and on the roof.

The tables, chairs, cabinets, and bed frames were all wiped clean.

Even the cages used for raising chickens and ducks were all cleaned.

Grandma put down the broom: "Have you eaten lunch?"

"I've already eaten." Chen Guiliang casually ate a few steamed buns while buying cured meat products.

Grandma didn't ask him if he had won an award, she just said, "You must be tired from sitting on the train for so long, why don't you go take a nap?"

“I came back last night and stayed at my uncle’s house,” Chen Guiliang asked. “Your Majesty, is Panda’er well-behaved?”

Grandma said sarcastically, "You're very well-behaved!"

Chen Guiliang laughed. He had deliberately bought the black and white flowers to cause trouble because his grandmother was too bored at home alone.

"Little Panda. Meow!"

Chen Guiliang also bought a pound of rice noodles and casually threw the small fish into the courtyard.

The panda smelled the fishy odor and suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Chen Guiliang took the New Year's goods and meals to the kitchen and saw that there was only a quarter left in the water tank, so he picked up the carrying pole and bucket to fetch water.

After finishing his meal, Panda followed Chen Guiliang around like a familiar face.

The threshold was too high; it couldn't jump over it in one go. It struggled to climb it like a mountain, finally managing to get over the threshold with tremendous effort, only to fall flat on its face.

"Meow!"

Chen Guiliang had already carried the water buckets far away, and Xiongmao'er got up and shouted as she chased after him.

When it reached a patch of grass, it decisively abandoned Chen Guiliang and frolicked in the dense weeds.

Chen Guiliang carried a bucket of water back and found Xiongmao'er squatting on the road waiting for him, with a mouse lying next to its paws, meowing incessantly as if asking for credit.

"No, how old are you? You can already catch mice." Chen Guiliang found it amusing.

The mouse was also very small, and after being tormented, it chose to play dead.

The panda reached out its paw and poked at the little mouse a few times, but finding it motionless, it lost interest and lay down to sleep next to it.

The little mouse seized the opportunity to escape, but before it had moved even ten centimeters, the panda swatted it with its paw.

When Chen Guiliang returned with water for the third time, the little mouse had been tortured to death.

Chen Guiliang went to the kitchen to get fire tongs, used them to grab the rat carcass and throw it into the latrine.

"Meow meow~~~"

The panda kept making noises, seemingly very unhappy about it.

"Hey, Brother Chen and Sister Yao are back for the New Year!"

The sound of a neighbor came from behind the house.

Chen Guiliang didn't go to fetch water anymore. He walked outside the courtyard and waited. Soon he saw his parents carrying large and small bags and walking over.

"Liangliang, you've grown so tall!" Yao Lan exclaimed happily.

When she last left her hometown, her son was still a few months away from turning 10, but now he's a handsome young man.

Grandma stood silently under the eaves, leaning on a long-handled broom, watching the three of them with a smile.

After nearly eight years, the family was finally reunited.

(End of this chapter)